I have a tradition for this last week of the year that I’d like to share with you. This always feels like the perfect time to focus and reflect on what’s happened, and on what’s to come.

To say our house is quiet now after the Christmas holiday would be a lie. With five young, active kids, “quiet” is a word I’m rarely able to use to describe the situation here (!) …and for the most part, I like it that way.

So, even though it still looks a little like Christmas blew up around here…even though we still have relatives to visit and more cookies to bake…even though I have some exciting business projects that need some attention…I will make time this week to settle myself down and ask myself some important questions about 2010:

What went right? What made me feel stronger? What made me feel good? How can I get more of that in 2011?

And, also:

What challenged me? What hurt me? What seemed overwhelming? What can I do to make those things better…easier?

For example, I count a healthy, happy family, a successful time back anchoring the morning news at KDKA-TV here in Pittsburgh, and new business relationships that have allowed me to connect with thousands of caregivers among the things that went right for me this year.

Challenges include carving out time for myself, dealing with the loss of my father-in-law (this is our second holiday season without him, and for some reason, it’s been harder for me than the first year—more on that in a post later this week), and keeping track of the schedules of my busy family.

Making mental notes of these kinds of things—taking the time to register their place and importance in my life–and attaching emotions to them helps a great deal in being able to set priorities and strategies for a successful, less stressful, new year.

Reflecting on the answers to those questions brings me new energy and strength. It fuels me with positive thoughts and leaves me feeling calm, centered, and ready to accept and make the most of whatever this new year’s journey brings!

I hope you make some time for yourself this week. Do you have any “just for you” end of year traditions?

About Jennifer Cares

Making Life Easier for Caregivers

Welcome to jennifer cares blog. You take care of kids, spouses, bosses, friends, family, pets, houses, and more. When's the last time you did anything just for you? It's time to take care of yourself. We can help.

Whether you’re one of the 65.7 million traditional volunteer family caregivers out there taking care of a sick or elderly family member, or just a busy person who struggles to find time for you; we will give you inspiration, motivation, and easy strategies to help you care for yourself while you’re taking care of others. We’d like you to think of this blog as a friend you can turn to for support, and a positive boost to your day. Jennifer can help you to lessen the burden of caregiving and show you how to appreciate the journey for the blessing it truly is.

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Jennifer Antkowiak

Jennifer Antkowiak's expertise in the caregiving field is authentic and inspiring. She is a busy mother of five, wife, award-winning TV news anchor and talk show host, author, and speaker. Jennifer knows how long-term illness affects a family. Her mother had post-partum depression and died of a heart attack at age 50. Jennifer feels blessed to have been a caregiver for her mother-in-law who died of cancer, and most recently, for her live-in father-in-law who died of cancer. Her real life experiences fuel her passionate mission to help the world's caregivers.
Through her work, she connects with caregivers to deliver help and hope. You can find out more about the Jennifer Cares mission and join Jennifer's free White Feather Club.